


What's Love if Not a Waiting to Be Seen

by cakelocked



Category: Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)
Genre: Accidental Seduction, Angst, Eli Vanto Deserves Nice Things, Eli in Chissland, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Matchmaker Ar'alani, now with art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:35:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25035550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cakelocked/pseuds/cakelocked
Summary: Eli Vanto has harbored an embarrassing crush on Thrawn for the longest time, but when his former commanding officer acts like they aren't even friends anymore when they meet again, he decides to move on.Fortunately, Eli has already met someone new and charming, who he soon finds himself falling for. It just so happens that this someone is Thrawn's brother, Thrass.
Relationships: Ar'alani & Eli Vanto, Ar'alani & Thrass | Mitth'ras'safis, Thrass | Mitth'ras'safis/Eli Vanto, Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo & Eli Vanto, Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Eli Vanto
Comments: 23
Kudos: 71





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In this chapter, Eli and Thrass meet for the first time. 
> 
> The fic is ready and I'll update new chapters every other day.
> 
> Inspired by the "Good Day Lieutenant Vanto" gate... I just wanted Eli to have a hot Chiss boyfriend who treats him right. I don't know if anyone else ships this but I'm prepared to singlehandedly provide content if no one else will.

The first time Mitth’ras’safis heard rumours of a human potentially coming to the Ascendancy, he was so busy managing yet another political problem he simply filed the information away, and then promptly forgot about it. As Syndic of the Mitth family his life was hectic enough, and so he also managed to avoid the rumours surrounding the subject, until Admiral Ar’alani contacted him on behalf of his wayward brother.

“Thrawn wants to do what?” Thrass resisted the urge to lean his head into his hands. Of course, it would be Thrawn behind it all.

“Mitth’raw’nuruodo has made a convincing argument for bringing this human to the Ascendancy.” Ar’alani’s voice was as dry as winter wind on Csilla, and held about as much warmth. They both knew what Thrawn was like.

“The human has been one of his subordinates the entire time he has spent in the service of the Empire. Apparently, he has mentored this human as well; he is a sort of protégé, it would seem.”

Thrass hummed and leaned back, steepling his fingers. “Well, _well_. There must be something about him, then, if Thrawn has deemed him worthy. Otherwise, he would not waste time with such matters.”

“I agree.” Ar’alani looked as calm as ever on the holo, but Thrass could see that she was tense. “I do not think that time away has made your brother any less… difficult. He now evades both questions and the consequences of his actions.”

Thrass sighed. “That, I believe. I wonder what makes him want to send his protégé away now.”

Ar’alani nodded, looking thoughtful. “That worries me as well. The situation within this… Empire may be degrading. Perhaps, if we agree to take in this human, he might shed light on the situation.” She looked down, eyes scanning information. “This Eli Vanto has had a successful record under Thrawn’s leadership; he might prove to be a valuable asset for us, as well.”

“Perhaps. I will talk to the other Syndics.”

And so Eli Vanto’s arrival to the Ascendancy was as good as approved.

* * *

Thrass did not see the human until Vanto had been in the Ascendancy for almost a year. It was possible that he would not have seen the human at all, if not for an unfortunate battle that almost destroyed the flagship _Steadfast_ , on which Vanto was stationed under Ar’alani’s command. And Thrass _was_ curious. After all, he had been the one to facilitate the permission for Eli Vanto to enter the Ascendancy. And yet, he still had not seen the man himself. Ar’alani’s regular reports weren’t quite enough to satisfy his curiosity.

It had been Ar’alani who had rendezvoused with the shuttle Vanto had arrived in, and taken him aboard the _Steadfast_. Negotiating the official permit for this had been an uphill battle as the other Syndics had been wary of allowing outsiders access to the Ascendancy. Nevertheless, Thrass had managed it. Even if it had been through cajoling—and in some cases, bullying—his fellow Syndics.

Thrass found it almost funny that despite being Vanto’s very first defender and advocate, he had not even met him. The Nuruodo family had all but hogged him, claiming that as Vanto had been a navy officer in the Empire, the best place for him would be in the military, under the command of Admiral Ar’alani.

Thrass had had no complaints about that; the reason Thrawn had given them for sending the man over had been Vanto’s supposed usefulness to the Chiss military. Still, Thrass _wanted_ to see the human himself. He told himself that his foremost concern was to talk to Vanto about Thrawn; to find out just what exactly his brother had been up to all those years. Thrawn’s reports had gotten more and more vague the longer he had been away, and both Thrass and Ar’alani were running out of patience.

Now Thrass’s chance to meet Eli Vanto had finally come, after almost a year. Their recent run-in with the Grysks had left the _Steadfast_ in need of repairs, and its crew in need of shore leave. Conveniently, both could be accomplished on Copero. Thrass had not wasted any time in inviting both Vanto and Ar’alani to the Mitth estate for the duration of their leave. His invitation had been accepted almost immediately, as he had anticipated.

Thrass knew that he was well-versed in political games and scheming; what warfare was to Thrawn, politics was to him. Thrawn had always been useless in politics. His brother had never grasped the idea that someone might put their political agenda before efficiency and common sense. His lack of comprehension for such things had not served him well in the Chiss military and Thrass dreaded to think how he had managed in the Empire. 

Right now, however, all his own political skill and suaveness did not stop Thrass from feeling the slightest sense of nervous anticipation. He truly wanted to meet the human that had managed to impress his impossible brother.

Once the estate had been prepared for the arrival of guests, Thrass went to greet them outside as he heard the shuttle arriving. The sleek shuttle departed as soon as the passengers exited with their belongings. Ar’alani stepped out first, Vanto following close behind her. Both were clad in their Defence Fleet uniforms. Thrass spied a lieutenant’s insignia on Vanto’s uniform.

As Thrass watched, the shuttle pulled away with a gust of wind that sent the human’s brown hair flying. The midday sun caught in the wild strands, lighting what Thrass had at first glance thought to be a uniform brown colour in shades of red and gold. That, in addition to the warm brown of the human’s skin were unlike anything Thrass had seen before. As Vanto fought to get his hair under control, Thrass used the time to take in the human’s small stature, and the well-fitting, immaculate Defence Fleet uniform he was wearing.

Thrass forced himself to concentrate on the moment and stepped forward, nodding respectfully at Ar’alani before speaking to Vanto in Cheunh.

“Greetings, Eli Vanto. I am Mitth’ras’safis, but you may call me Thrass.”

Vanto bowed at him, one lock of his hastily tamed hair falling back onto his forehead. “I am honoured to meet you, Syndic.”

Thrass suppressed his smirk. It seemed that Vanto had, at the very least, retained his social skills despite his brother’s influence.

“There is no need for formalities here, you are a guest in my home.”

Vanto made an aborted gesture to brush away the stray lock of hair, Thrass’s eyes picking up a slight blush rising on his face. “Understood, Syndic… Thrass.” His voice did not give away any of his nervousness. His pronunciation was almost perfect, but his slight accent gave the words an almost lyrical quality. _Pleasing_ , Thrass thought, and then wrested his attention back to receiving his guests with all the grace that was required of him as the Syndic of the Mitth family.

* * *

“You do understand that he has work to do while we are here,” Ar’alani said as she sat down to have a drink with Thrass. It was the evening following their arrival to the Mitth estate. They’d all dined together but afterwards Vanto had wandered off to sleep, tired after traveling, and no doubt still dealing with the aftermath of the battle that had crippled their ship.

“So I am given to understand. He is of use, then? I presumed as much, after the trouble my brother went through in order to send him here. Your reports were almost praising, though few in number.” Thrass sipped his wine, considering Ar’alani. 

She raised an eyebrow at him and took a sip of her wine before responding. “Yes, he is.”

Seeing the look on Thrass’s face she continued. “I’d thought you would want to make your own conclusions.”

Well, she was not wrong. Thrass conceded the point with a minute shrug. “Fair enough.”

“Just don’t monopolise his time too much. We need the results of the analysis, and soon.”

Thrass hummed. “Surely you have other analysts? Why him?”

Ar’alani sipped her wine and looked away in the distance. “He is better than them. Mitth’raw’nuruodo knows how to find talent and encourage it.”

They spent the rest of the evening talking about a number of other things, but afterwards, as Thrass got ready to sleep, he found himself mostly thinking about his meeting with Vanto.

* * *

The next morning, Thrass noticed that Vanto and Ar’alani had both gotten up before him. In Ar’alani’s case she had already eaten and left to conduct her business in the shipyard, which left him and Vanto alone for most of the day.

Not one to eat much in the morning, Thrass decided on an enormous cup of caf, and one pastry from the spread that the servants had prepared on the dining room table. The room was airy, with large windows that let through rays of morning light. Vanto had chosen to sit down at the end of the table, a couple of datapads and some flimsi scattered around him. Thrass noticed the remains of his breakfast forgotten next to his elbow.

Vanto had not noticed him yet, which meant Thrass could regard him unobserved. The morning sun painted strands in the human’s mop of hair with gold, and his dark eyelashes threw shadows on his cheeks. The man had an intense look of concentration on his face, his hand moving along the page, scribbling down figures at the speed of light.

Thrass stepped closer, setting his mug down on the table with enough noise to alert the other man to his presence. Vanto’s head swivelled up immediately, his hand stopping on the page.

“Good morning, Thrass.”

“Good morning, Eli Vanto. I hope you slept well?” Thrass motioned towards the mug beside him with a carafe of caf and raised his eyebrow.

A look of surprise passed Vanto’s face and was gone almost as soon as it appeared. “Yes, I did. Thank you for asking.” He hesitated briefly before extending his empty mug towards Thrass, who filled it. Vanto nodded him his thanks.

Thrass sat down in the seat across from him and bit down on his pastry. Vanto looked at him fleetingly, and then back down at his calculations. He picked up the stylus again and resumed his work. Thrass watched as the figures flowed uninterrupted to flimsi. It truly was impressive how fast the man could work. The flow of work was only interrupted when Vanto stopped to take a sip of his caf.

Thrass found the silence surprisingly comforting. Usually his days were filled with endless talking: with his political enemies, with his allies, with other members of the family. The list was long. He found that the easy silence between him and Vanto was a welcome break.

After finishing his pastry, he took his own pad and perused the day’s agenda, compiled by his assistant. There was nothing that required his immediate personal attention and he noted with satisfaction that his assistant had taken into account his wish to spend time with Vanto.

“I apologise, Syndic. I got caught up in my work. Was there something you wished to speak about?” Vanto looked slightly flushed, piling up the flimsies into a neat stack.

Thrass smiled at the human, gesturing with his free hand. “No matter. I understand your work is important. If you are done, I could give you a tour of the house and the grounds?”

Vanto smiled at him then, a small, tentative smile but nevertheless genuine. “I’d like that. I’ve been cooped up aboard starships almost longer than I remember.”

“Yes, I understand that you served in the Imperial navy? No doubt your skills with numbers and analysis served you well there.” Thrass motioned at the paperwork on the table. “Admiral Ar’alani tells me that your work here has been exemplary.”

Vanto blushed this time for real. “Oh, yes. I served under Grand Admiral Thrawn, as you’re no doubt aware of. As for my work here, I’m glad that Admiral Ar’alani thinks so. This isn’t really complicated, though—there’s just so much data to go through and sort. I’m used to this kind of after-battle analysis from my time with the Empire.”

Thrass smiled at him. “It figures Thrawn would find use for your unique talent. The Ascendancy certainly is grateful for your talents.”

An unidentifiable look passed on Vanto’s face. Was it momentary doubt? Grief? Thrass wasn’t sure.

“I’m sure there are better analysts here than me. I’m just happy to help—as a way to pay back Thrawn’s faith in me.” Vanto smiled, though he looked skeptical.

“He wouldn’t have sent you here if he didn’t believe in your talents.”

Vanto froze for a second, and then his eyes met Thrass’s for the first time. Until then, his eyes had been elsewhere when he’d spoken. To Thrass, the colour of his eyes was just as unusual as his hair had been.

“I’ll take your word for it.” The smile on the human’s face looked brittle.

* * *

The rest of their conversation concentrated on the house and the surrounding gardens, as Thrass presented them to the human with his usual flair. He could see Vanto liked the gardens and the man said as much. The greenery there was lush, filled with various flowers which Vanto leaned closer to inspect.

“I had forgotten how much I missed outdoors. Not that I saw much nature when I was a cadet in the Myomar Academy, and even less after I was transferred to Coruscant. All these plants remind me of Lysatra.”

He touched his finger gently to a delicate, bright orange, bell-shaped flower with white stripes, and smiled.

Thrass smiled as well. “I find that sometimes working outdoors is much more enjoyable. It has the upside of being able to hide from any prying people when I don’t wish to be disturbed.” He paused for a brief moment. For some reason, he was feeling more reckless than usual but he found he did not mind, and continued, smirking: “Shall I show you my hiding place, Eli Vanto?”

Vanto looked at him, regarding him for a moment before smiling. “You know what? I’d like it very much.” As they continued down a winding path between decorative bushes the human continued: “You can call me Eli, you know. Or Vanto, if you feel that’s more appropriate. You are my host, and brother of my… friend.” Then, he stammered. “Besides, you already gave me permission to use your core name. Though, I know that it must be because I’d probably butcher it and˗”

Thrass stopped and looked at him, amused. Then, he decided to cut in. “I don’t deny it was part of the reason, initially. Now though, I wonder if you could manage the full name after all. The true reason, however, was as you suggested: you are a friend of my brother. A brother I haven’t seen in great many years, but my brother nonetheless. My _only_ brother. Any friend of my brother is my friend as well.”

He had not meant to say quite that much but once he had started, he had found that he could not stop. What he managed not to add was just how few friends Thrawn had ever had before he left the Ascendancy. Every word Thrass had just spoken had been the truth, and he found it refreshing. He rarely had the chance to do so. Baring his soul to the human should have felt uncomfortable, and yet, it had not.

Vanto—no, Eli, looked at him with a mix of surprise and understanding on his face. “I miss Thrawn as well.”

* * *

Eli did not know what to think; his life had made little sense lately. Just as he had thought he’d finally found his place it had been taken away. Again.

Of course, Eli had agreed to go when Thrawn had asked him. There was not much that Eli would not have done if Thrawn had asked him. Still, leaving his life behind had hurt more than Eli had initially thought it would. His colleagues aboard the _Chimaera_ , his family on Lysatra… Thrawn. Leaving Thrawn behind had been… eye-opening. Eli knew he had had a major crush on the man for a long time. Still, he could not help but wonder if a mere crush would have hurt this much.

The reality of his situation had taken some time to sink in properly. The aftermath of Thrawn’s discovery of what the Empire had been building had been quick and messy. That, combined with the clusterfuck on Batonn with Governor Pryce had forced Thrawn to act quickly. And so, Eli had left when Thrawn had asked. He had not stopped to think; he did not even know what had been told to his colleagues. Or his family. Had they even been notified that he was… gone?

He had just rushed to his secret rendezvous point with the Ascendancy Defence Fleet, and been received by a stone-faced and frankly terrifying woman who had introduced herself as Admiral Ar’alani. After a few weeks, it had been depressing to realise that Ar’alani’s behaviour, though completely impersonal and professional, somehow still managed to be warmer towards him than the rest of the crew’s; most of them constantly underestimated his abilities, and maintained a cold distance with him.

The only one who had actually approached him was one of the navigators. Vah’nya had become his friend, and despite their differences Eli was immensely grateful for her company.

Eli had managed to come up with some resemblance of routine aboard the flagship. There was always work to be done, and he had quickly found out that the types of analyses Thrawn had had him do in the Empire had trained him well for his duties in the Defence Fleet. Now, he wondered if that had been intentional, too. Had Thrawn’s plan always been to send him away?

Just a few moments ago, Eli had been in the midst of yet another analysis of a battle; it had involved some of the fleet’s ships, and the Grysk raiders that had attacked them. Of course, Ar’alani was an exceptional commander, and they had managed to defeat all of the enemy ships—but their flagship had suffered heavy damage.

Now, though, Eli found himself sitting in a garden, of all places. The aftermath of the battle had been as near to chaotic that he suspected was possible among the Chiss. Miraculously, the ship had stayed in one piece as they had made their way to the Copero shipyards.

Eli’s time had been divided between helping run damage control and doing his standard after-battle analysis, before their sudden invitation to the Mitth estate. He had managed to check that Vah’nya and the other navigators were alright, at least, before he and Ar’alani had set off to the estate.

The planet’s sunlight was different from what he remembered of Lysatra, more temperate. Copero was also very different from the freezing temperatures of Csilla—Eli was happy that his visit there had been a brief one.

Eli leaned back and turned his face to the sun. The warmth was refreshing, as was the fresh air. It carried with it the fragrance of living things. He had meant every word he had said to Thrass earlier. It had been a long time since he had been outdoors. Now that he thought of it, the last time he had truly been near anything even resembling nature, had been on the backwater planet they had found Thrawn on.

Lately, it seemed that almost all of his thoughts led back to Thrawn in some way or another. It was hard not to think of him; being surrounded by Chiss all the time. Eli sighed. Reading Thrawn’s diary had been both enlightening and infuriating. It galled Eli to read how easily Thrawn had essentially decided his life for him. Sure, Eli had come to first accept and later cherish his place by Thrawn’s side but reading it all so callously written down had shaken him.

There had been many things he had learned from that diary—like the fact that Thrawn considered him his friend. Eli had hoped as much, and having it confirmed both warmed and broke his heart. Eli _knew_ that expecting anything more from Thrawn had been foolish but he had secretly dreamed of it nonetheless. Now, he could not even ask Thrawn what exactly he had meant by his words in that final diary entry. He would just have to wait. Surely, they would see each other again someday? In the meantime, Eli would just have to do his best to, not forget, but put his feelings and thoughts of Thrawn aside and concentrate on his new life.

_That’s going well_ , Eli thought, and almost snorted. _I’m staying with his brother, of all people_.

At first glance, Thrass did not resemble his brother much. Besides the fact that they were both tall, had blue skin, black hair, and red eyes.

Still, there was something similar in their disposition. But where Thrawn’s bearing was all military precision and power, all clearly and very deliberately broadcasted, Thrass had a much more subtle air about him; his movements lithe and graceful, like those of a dancer. Despite his rather nonthreatening appearance, Eli bet that he was no less deadly than Thrawn.

It did not surprise Eli that Thrawn had not mentioned that he had a brother. Gods knew how hard it had been fishing for any personal information from the elusive Chiss. Instead, he had found out about Thrass from Thrawn’s diary, after he’d already left for the Ascendancy.

Eli did not know much about his host apart from the fact that he was the Syndic of the Mitth family, and Thrawn’s only blood family. Apparently, he had also been the one to sponsor Eli’s acceptance to the Ascendancy. Ar’alani had told Eli as much, in the first months after his arrival.

Eli chanced a brief glance towards Thrass; he was sitting with his legs crossed and his eyes closed on the wooden floor of the gazebo, apparently meditating. The ornate gazebo was hidden deep in the gardens—the last place Thrass had taken him on his tour of the estate. His hiding place, he had called it. It _was_ a really nice place, Eli thought. The round building was an airy thing of intricate woodwork and stone; clearly designed for warm summer weather. It was surrounded by trees and several colourful flower bushes.

Eli was sitting on an ornate bench just outside the round building, thinking. He had a datapad with him but for some reason work held little appeal to him at the moment. Eli found that he would much rather just enjoy the moment.

* * *

Copero had one of the biggest shipyards in the Ascendancy, but the numerous repairs that the _Steadfast_ required were still going to take a long time. Ever practical, the Chiss had decided to take the opportunity to upgrade some of the systems at the same time.

Eli found that he did not mind his extended leave at all. Ar’alani mostly spent her time away from the estate, conducting her business in the shipyards, not trusting anyone else to oversee the repairs of her ship. It left Eli alone with Thrass—when the Syndic was not away engaging in his various political duties. That was not nearly as common as he had expected though. Eli had a sneaking suspicion that Thrass was, perhaps not dodging some of his duties, but delegating them in order to stay on the estate as much as possible. Why, he could not tell.

In the weeks after his arrival, he and Thrass had fallen into a routine with an ease that surprised Eli. Sure, there had been some initial awkwardness but after they had gotten over it, Eli found that Thrass was very good company.

For one, he responded to Eli’s questions. In fact, he seemed to have a real interest in familiarising Eli with Chiss culture as much as possible. Eli was aware his knowledge of life in the Ascendancy was woefully lacking—living aboard a military ship did not leave much time or opportunity for getting to know a new culture.

First, there was a crash course in food; Thrass had cooks working for him on the estate but he also showed Eli how to make some of the easier recipes he knew. “I used to cook this for Thrawn, back before he joined the military,” he would say. To Eli, after spending years on military rations, tasting food that actually had flavours and consistency beyond mush or paste was divine. No matter how strange most of the foodstuffs were to him.

Then there was art. Eli was not much of an art critic, nor could he analyse the pieces the way Thrawn could. However, he could still look and appreciate. There was quite a sizeable collection of various art pieces on the estate, containing everything from paintings and intricate mosaics to statues. The stories Thrass had about the different pieces were what Eli liked the most. Knowing more about the artists or the time periods the works were created in made him feel more connected—both to the artworks, and to the culture and people who had created them.

Eli’s favourite was a small mosaic made from pieces of coloured glass. It was an abstract piece, but what called to Eli were the colours. Strong orange and purple were blended with brown and white in intricate swirls of colour, all bound together in black framework. When he had asked Thrass about it, the Chiss had told him that both the maker and the subject matter were long forgotten, if they’d ever been known in the first place. Eli could feel a strange kinship with the long-forgotten mosaic.

For the most part, however, they spoke of their lives. Eli asked many questions of Thrass, and if some of them were of Thrawn, who could blame him? Thrass told him many things about him and his brother, of their youth, of their life before Thrawn’s exile. All of it was new to Eli.

What surprised Eli was that Thrass had just as many questions about Eli and his life. At first, Eli had thought that it was just another tactic to gather intel about the Empire. Still, most of the questions were not really about the Empire at all. Rather, Thrass seemed to want to know about his life on Lysatra, his interests, his thoughts and experiences. It threw Eli off, at first. It had been a long time since anyone had been interested in him, and not just in the things he could do.

Of course, Eli still had a lot of work to do, which Thrass left him to do in peace. He never bothered Eli when he was working, nor did he try to interrogate Eli about the progress of the analysis he was doing, which Eli appreciated. He had enough pressure from Ar’alani to finish as soon as possible. Nevertheless, Thrass was there whenever Eli felt he needed a break or someone to talk to.

In fact, whatever free time Eli had was spent in Thrass’s company. The longer Eli spent with Thrass, the more grounded he felt, somehow. His Cheunh had improved in leaps and bounds—both vocabulary and pronunciation. Thrass was a good teacher; he did not shy away from correcting Eli’s errors, but he managed to do it in a way that did not make Eli feel like a total fool. Most of the Cheunh Thrawn had taught Eli had been what was expected and useful in military service. Eli noticed that his newfound mastery of the language, as well as knowledge of the Chiss culture in general made him feel more at home in the Ascendancy.

* * *

It was almost two months after Eli had arrived to the Mitth estate, the two of them sitting in Thrass’s study, when Thrass asked Eli about the Chiss legends of Lysatra. The question stopped Eli for a moment. The request brought to mind his meeting with Thrawn, and he said as much to Thrass.

“Interesting.” Thrass looked thoughtful, his eyes sharp and gleaming with intellect. When he got like that, it was easy to tell that he and Thrawn were brothers. Despite their differences in build and personality, they had the same sharp edge of intelligence about them.

“Those stories are ancient,” Eli shrugged and sipped his drink—a variety of local wine that Thrass had offered him. It tasted of summer.

“They would have to be. My people–” Thrass stopped for the briefest of moments, tapping his finger against his wine glass before looking Eli in the eye, “ _Our_ people I should rather say–” He paused again at the look on Eli’s face. Eli did not know what it was the Chiss saw there but he was smiling at Eli, his red eyes shining. “You _are_ one of us now, Eli Vanto. Never doubt it.”

Eli felt himself blush at the words, and fought the irrational impulse to bring his hands to his face and hide behind the wide burgundy sleeves of his elaborate tunic. It was a gift from Thrass—he had given it to Eli during the first week of his stay.

Thrass’s melodic laughter did nothing to quell the blush on Eli’s face. “Oh, Eli. Never change. What was I saying…? _Ah_. About he stories. It has been a _very long time_ since the Ascendancy has had any contact to anyone outside of our borders. Of course, trading does not count since we do it by proxy, as you must know. So, it follows that the stories about any visiting Chiss would have to be very old.”

“Thrawn explained as much, before,” Eli answered, fighting to get his blush under control. He thought of the legends, remembering one of his favourites.

“I think my favourite one might be of the lone Chiss warrior coming to Lysatra.”

He looked over at Thrass, the Chiss motioning for him to continue.

Eli cleared his throat and began to tell the story, his voice easily falling to the rhythm of a storyteller despite the fact that the last time he had heard the story had been many years ago and in another language.

“It was the middle of Lysatra’s worst storm season in centuries, when a strange ship appeared…”

* * *

Thrass had known that eventually Eli’s leave had to come to an end. Ar’alani had kept him updated on the progress of the repairs, and he knew that his time with Eli was nearing its end. What had surprised the Chiss, was how much he would miss the human. He felt that they had truly bonded, and not just over the fact that they were both close to Thrawn.

Their newfound closeness had not gone unnoticed by Ar’alani, either. She had warned Thrass of their approaching departure, as well as given him a hint of their next destination, all the while managing to look almost sorry. Thrass was no stranger to seeing his friends off to danger. Some might argue that he was no stranger to danger himself; after all, the life of a Syndic was rife with danger.

Still, knowing that Eli would be shipping out to the outer borders of the Ascendancy filled Thrass with vague fear. The farther out you went, the more dangerous it got. Nevertheless, he had to honour the human’s wish to serve in the Fleet. It didn’t stop him from slipping Eli a comm device with his personal number saved in it.

They stood alone, waiting for the shuttle to arrive. Thrass eyed the human standing beside him. His uniform looked every bit as crisp and professional as the day he had arrived on the estate, but it felt strange to see Eli back in dark grey. Thrass had gotten used to seeing him clad in the Mitth burgundy and gold. _He’d looked so good in red_. The thought surprised him so much that he drew in a sharp breath.

Eli turned to look at him. “Are you all right, Thrass?”

Thrass fought to contain his momentary fluster. “Yes, I am fine. I must confess, I will miss our talks, Eli.” _I will miss_ _you._

It was a good thing that, for human eyes, the Chiss blush was very hard to detect. Thrass was relieved that Ar’alani was not present.

Eli’s face softened to a smile. “I’ll miss our talks, too. I think I’ll also miss this place. I’ll remember it though, when I’m out there. It makes it easier to fight when you have something to fight for, to protect.”

To his knowledge, Thrass did not have any medical problems. At the moment though, it felt like his heart had skipped too many beats to be considered normal or healthy. He could feel his face warm some more.

Ar’alani’s sudden arrival gave him the incentive to get himself under control, and not long after that, the shuttle arrived.

Thrass said his farewells to her first, knowing that they would be in touch, if needed. “Warrior’s fortune to you.”

She nodded at him in answer, and turned to walk to the shuttle. Eli turned to follow her, but Thrass called out for him.

“Eli, wait. Take this.” He handed him a small personal comm unit. Eli took it in his hand, and looked at it, fascinated.

“I… I would like to keep in touch. It has my personal comm number. I understand, if you do not wish to comm me, or are too busy for such things. I just wanted you to have it.”

Eli’s eyes widened, and he looked up at Thrass, and then back down at the comm before closing his fingers around the small, circular piece of tech. “I’d like that as well. I’ll do my best to keep in touch. Thank you.”

And with that, Eli Vanto was away, and out of Thrass’s life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli deals with the aftermath of meeting Thrawn again. Thrass and Eli get to know each other better. Also, there is a scandalous fruit plate.

Eli eyed the comm unit Thrass had given him, forcing his exhausted mind to calculate the time on Copero. He wanted to talk to Thrass, desperately. There was no way he would talk to Ar’alani—the Chiss was his commanding officer, and more than a little intimidating. He did not want to bother Vah’nya with his problems, either. Other than those two, there really was no one on the ship that he could talk to.

Right now, they were almost all the way back in Chiss space, close enough to the Ascendancy’s borders for the comm device to function. The silence had been harder on Eli than he had expected; his regular talks with Thrass interrupted by distance.

The less time Eli had to think about his painful reunion with Thrawn, the better. There had been so much going on at the time, and still… the lacklustre, dismissive greeting had managed to throw him off. _“Good day, Lieutenant Vanto.”_ After all he had done, that was what he had gotten—four words, and a quick glance.

At the time, Eli had been too surprised to truly feel hurt. Right now, though, it was the only thing he could feel. In the end, he had not even had a chance to talk with Thrawn properly. No real chance to ask him any of the questions he had wanted to ask—no chance of closure. There had not been any time, and Thrawn had not given any indication that such a talk would be welcome. Once again, he felt like he had been a mere pawn in one of Thrawn’s games.

_Maybe it is for the best_ … Eli thought, turning the comm device around in his hands slowly, methodically. _Since we didn’t have the chance to talk,_ _I couldn’t make a fool of myself. Any more than I already have. I know I would have let my feelings slip—now, he’ll never know._ _I’ll just go back to the Ascendancy, focus on my work, and forget about it all._

Eli sighed, and put the device down on the table. Maybe it really was better to just bury those feelings. What hurt the most was that Eli knew it truly was over between them. Whatever it had been between him and Thrawn. There had been no trace left of their quiet camaraderie, of their friendship. It hurt, it really hurt—more than Eli could put into words. He felt hollow.

Eli was about to turn away, as the comm device suddenly beeped with an incoming call. He all but lunged to pick up the device again. The picture of Thrass was shaky and glitchy—reminiscent of holos back in the Empire, as opposed to the crisp and clear picture Eli had gotten used to with Ascendancy tech—a testament to the distance between them. Still, at that moment Eli felt closer to Thrass than he had felt to Thrawn, standing right next to him.

Thrass had called him. _He had thought of him_. Just the thought managed to cheer Eli up, somewhat.

“Thrass, it’s good to see you.”

Thrass smiled at him, looking concerned. “I heard from Ar’alani that you are heading back to Ascendancy space, so I called you as soon as I could. How are you, Eli, truly? The reports I heard of your mission were… disturbing.”

Eli tried to force a smile, but he could immediately tell that Thrass did not buy it. It must have looked just as hollow as he felt. “It was… hard. Both the mission, and seeing the old crew again.” He paused and sighed, closing his eyes for a second before adding. “Seeing Thrawn again.”

Thrass just hummed, and waited for Eli to continue. Eli dropped the forced smile but managed a ghost of a real one. “None of it was like I thought it would be, if we ever saw each other again. He was so… _different_. Distant. It was as though we were strangers.”

There was a brief silence before Thrass spoke, his voice tentative. “I do not know what happened exactly, but I _do_ know my brother. No matter how gracelessly he spoke to you now, there is no way he would have sent you to us if he did not value you and your skills. And from what I have learned of you after we became friends, I don’t doubt that he considered you a friend, too.”

He paused and sighed. “If only he had the social skills to make such things known.”

Eli snorted, despite himself. “That really is his weakness. Well, that, and politics.”

“Aren’t they just. I wouldn’t be the Syndic of Mitth family if not for all the diplomatic training I amassed cleaning up Thrawn’s messes and soothing all the ruffled feathers.” Eli could see Thrass was not completely joking. The mention of Thrawn reminded him of his hurt but the sight of Thrass’s smiling face soothed it.

They talked until Eli’s shift started, of any and all things that had happened while they were not in contact. Thrass refrained from mentioning Thrawn again, which Eli appreciated. There was no doubt the Chiss wanted to hear about his brother, but he still didn’t force Eli to dwell on the subject.

Eli checked his chrono. “I have to go soon. My shift starts in a few minutes, and I’ve been tasked with babysitting our new guest.” He grimaced at the thought of spending any more time with the sour Imperial.

Thrass smiled understandingly. “I wish you luck, and patience. If it is any consolation to you, I’ve been informed that your guest will be picked up by House Inrokini as soon as possible.”

Eli laughed. “That is the best news I’ve heard today.”

“Oh. Before I go, Thrass–” he hesitated a second, rubbing his neck and feeling suddenly very self-conscious. “I’ve been informed that the whole crew will be given shore leave upon our return. Could I…”

Thrass cut in, his voice soft but firm. “ _Of course_ you are welcome here, Eli. Never doubt that. I look forward to seeing you again.”

Eli relaxed, a relieved smile lighting up his face. “Me too. Now, I really have to run. I don’t want to give Ronan any more reasons to whine. Until we meet again.”

“Until we meet again, Eli. Stay safe.”

* * *

Compared to the nervousness Eli had felt the first time he had arrived to the Mitth estate, this time he only felt anticipation. The trip back to the Ascendancy had felt endless, and being forced to babysit the ever-sour Ronan had sucked the last of his energies out of him.

Vah’nya’s friendship, his newfound privilege to socialise with the rest of the navigators, and the knowledge that he would see Thrass again soon had been the only things keeping him going. Ar’alani was not coming to the estate this time, and had instead sent Eli off with a box to give to Thrass on her behalf. She’d had a very cryptic almost-smile on her face as she had handed him the box—it had scared Eli.

He jumped out of the shuttle as soon as it touched down, his meagre belongings and the mystery box with him, and waved at the pilot as she flew away. Thrass was standing in the same place as last time, and Eli walked to him, a broad smile on his face.

“Welcome back, Eli. Your room is ready, and there is food waiting for you.” Thrass smiled.

Eli hummed, pleased; non-military food sounded divine. “Hello, Thrass. You are spoiling me.”

Thrass threw his hands up theatrically. “Nonsense!” He walked Eli to the door, and up the front steps.

Eli blushed at the Chiss’s earnest tone, and fumbled with the box he was carrying, holding it out for Thrass to take. “From Ar’alani. She told me to tell you to ‘enjoy and share’.”

Thrass raised his brow and took the box. Eli headed upstairs to his room, feeling giddy at the thought of a couple of weeks of freedom spent with Thrass. He was determined to find something else to think apart from Thrawn.

His room felt welcoming and familiar. Eli set his things down, and spied yet another set of Mitth burgundy tunics set out for him on the plush bed. This one had black sleeves and gold decorative stitching, with a wide black sash around the middle.

Suddenly, the thought of shedding the uniform in favour of civilian clothes felt very tempting. Eli shrugged off the uniform, not bothering to lay it down properly for once. The tunics Thrass had provided him, despite being rich-coloured and decorative, were light to wear and very comfortable. Eli looked in the mirror and righted the sash, eyeing his rebellious hair and deciding that trying to tame it was pointless. It wasn’t like Thrass would mind.

Thrass had cooked seasoned meat and vegetables and the food was delicious. Eli told him as much, leaning back after finishing his serving in record time.

Thrass’s answer was a smile and a shrug. “Flatterer. This is but a simple fare.”

“Try living on army rations. This tastes amazing.”

Thrass raised his brow and nodded, conceding the point with grace. “Now, shall we see what Ar’alani sent?”

Eli nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely.”

Thrass cracked open the sealed box, revealing another, padded box filled with… fruit? Eli stared at the collection of fruits, at a loss, before realising they were familiar. He _knew_ those fruits.

“Is that a meiloorun? Where in blazes did she find meilooruns? And jogan fruit, too?”

He reached in, and picked up a perfect meiloorun, ripe for eating. “I can’t remember when I last had a meiloorun.”

He turned to show the fruit to Thrass. “Look! These are all from Imperial territory.”

Thrass laughed, and took the fruit from his hand. The blue of his hands contrasted quite beautifully with the bright orange and red of the plump fruit. Eli turned his eyes away, turning his attention back to the fruit box.

“Oh, there’s muja fruits here too. And–” he moved the fruits around gently. _Oh hells_.

Thrass missed his momentary hiccup, and leaned forward, his shoulder touching Eli’s.

“These are muja fruits?” He asked and pointed at the reddish orange fruit about the size of a fist. Eli swallowed and nodded, his attention still on the yellow and cream coloured, pear-shaped fruits gently tucked into the extra padding at the very end of the box. _Who the kriff decided to pack kriffing shuura fruit_ _in here?_

Admiral Ar’alani must not be aware of the implications. Surely, she doesn’t know? There is _no way_ she knows. Eli felt his thoughts running in circles, a veritable cacophony in his head.

“Eli, are you well?”

_Kriff_ , this time Thrass had noticed his silence.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Just wondering what we should do with all of these. We could bake something, maybe?”

His inner monologue turned slightly hysterical. _Oh yes,_ _let’s just bake something and_ _ignore the risqué implications of a certain fruit!_ The only saving grace was that Thrass didn’t know what the fruits were. Eli didn’t have that luxury himself, unfortunately; he knew the ‘famous Naboo love fruits’ as well as anyone in the galaxy.

Thrass’s face lit up at the mention of baking. For a politician and a member of the Aristocra, Thrass liked spending a lot of time in the kitchen, and had a serious sweet tooth, as Eli had already found out during his last visit.

Eli jumped at the chance to distract him further. “These muja fruit for example. We could make muffins. And jogan fruit cake is very good.”

He could see Thrass already planning the sweet desserts, his attention diverted from the rest of the fruits. The danger was averted, for the moment.

* * *

It was a couple of days after Eli’s return that Ar’alani called Thrass to provide a routine update. After the very short exchange of pleasantries—Thrass knew Ar’alani despised small talk—he took the opportunity to thank her.

“I must thank you for the fruits.”

The corner of Ar’alani’s mouth inched upwards in an almost-smile. “Oh? I am glad you liked them. I had an associate compile the contents of the box for me; she told me those fruits are quite… delicious. I trust Vanto knew what to do with them.”

Thrass smiled, thinking of the fruit cake they’d made together earlier that day. “Oh, yes. The fruit cake was delicious.”

Ar’alani’s facial expression stayed unchanged but Thrass got a feeling she was exasperated for some reason. However, before he could ask, she changed the subject.

* * *

Later, as he sat with Eli on the roofed patio outside, he wondered what Ar’alani had meant. Perhaps it had been nothing. Thrass eyed Eli, who was sitting on a plush chair next to Thrass’s, his eyes closed, as he enjoyed a cold beverage. Eli had insisted on mixing both of them drinks: he had used one of Thrass’s wines, a type of sparkling water, and bits of fruit left over from their baking. The result was interesting—in a good way, Thrass thought, and took a sip from his glass, wiping away at the condensation on the glass with his thumb.

Eli already looked much happier than he had when he had arrived. Not to mention compared to how desolate he had looked when Thrass had called him. Thinking back on that, Thrass felt a rare spark of real anger towards his brother.

Surely, Thrawn must know how much Eli valued his opinion, his friendship? Thrass knew from his talks with Eli that Thrawn had sent Eli away with his personal writings, and there was no way his brother would have done that if he did not care about the human. Apparently, nothing of that care had remained in their reunion. Thrass had gleaned that much from Ar’alani’s terse report, which had contained a number of other disturbing things as well.

When Thrass had called Eli, he had hoped that Ar’alani had perhaps misinterpreted something. As soon as the call had connected, he had seen that it wasn’t the case. The look of emptiness on Eli’s usually so lively face had been distressing to witness. It had taken lot of willpower to defend Thrawn in that moment—if only to make Eli feel better. His brother had truly messed up.

Knowing that the crew would be granted shore leave upon their return, Thrass had dreaded the thought of Eli hiding away in his Defence Fleet provided flat on Csilla, suffering alone. He had already debated whether he should invite Eli to the estate again, but the human had beat him to it. The mix of silent desperation and hesitance on Eli’s face had shook him—he’d looked as if he wasn’t sure if he was even allowed to ask whether he could come to Thrass.

There had been no hesitation, no doubt on his mind that the human would always be welcome in his house, his home. Damn Thrawn for not appreciating Eli enough—or, at least, for not showing it to him. Thrass vowed to do so himself. He would show Eli he was worthy of so much more.

* * *

“Do you enjoy music?”

Eli raised his eyes from a datapad he had been perusing, and hummed thoughtfully. “Yes, I do. Though, it’s been a while. I used to dabble with a seven-string hallikset when I still lived on Lysatra, but I wasn’t very good at it. I like listening to music, though. Especially live music—there just weren’t many chances to do that in the Imperial Navy.” Eli said, his smile like the sun coming out from behind a cloud.

Thrass blinked, distracted by Eli’s smile, and couldn’t help but smile back. “In that case, would you like to listen to me play?”

Eli said yes, and Thrass stood up from his chair to lead the way.

* * *

Thrass led Eli to a room he had not seen before. It was large and quite empty, except for a table with a single chair situated in the middle of the room, and a comfortable looking couch with a couple of padded chairs along the opposing wall. The room’s large windows gave a view of the gardens.

Thrass motioned Eli towards the couch, and headed to the table. Eli sat down and looked more closely this time, at what he had first thought was merely a big wooden box. He could now see a multitude of what seemed to be metal tines protruding from the top of the box, arranged in neat little groups. The box itself was polished wood, inlaid with decorative swirls of darker wood and hints of gold.

Thrass sat down with his usual dramatic flair, a swish of his red and grey robes, and brushed the box with his hand, his long fingers caressing the wooden surface in a loving gesture. He turned to look at Eli, his smile making crinkles appear around his eyes, which now seemed to glow even brighter than usual. “I have missed playing. Let’s hope that my skills haven’t abandoned me completely.”

Before Eli had an opportunity to say anything, Thrass plucked one of the tines—it produced a haunting, surprisingly bell-like sound. The first note was yet to die away when Thrass raised his other hand and started playing.

Eli had never heard anything quite like it before. In all the times he had been forced to attend the various Imperial galas and parties with Thrawn, or in any music he had heard back on Lysatra, Eli had never heard an instrument like the one Thrass played. It was obvious that he was a very skilful player. Eli watched, mesmerised, as Thrass’s hands glided gracefully over the tines, producing hauntingly beautiful music.

It was breathtaking. Eli could see Thrass _loved_ playing. His whole body came to life with the music he was creating, more passionate and alive than Eli had seen him before. Eli felt shivers running down his spine. Suddenly, it felt like he was missing something glaringly obvious. _No. No I’m not,_ Eli thought, and shoved the half-formed thoughts away. It’s just the music, nothing more.

For the rest of the performance, Eli concentrated only on the music. When Thrass, positively beaming, asked his opinion of the song, Eli answered with praise, ignoring the fluttering of his heart, and the traitorous blush threatening to rise to his face.

* * *

The incident in the music room was only the start of Eli’s troubles. Try as he might, it was impossible to ignore his newfound awareness of Thrass. The Chiss was everywhere. It had been a very, very long week; it was as though Thrass went out of his way to be as distracting and charming as possible. Eli sighed, setting down the book he had been trying to read. He turned to look at the blooming flowers beside the bench he was sitting on, alone for the moment, as Thrass’s work had taken him away for the afternoon.

The worst part was, Eli wasn’t so sure his… _feelings_ towards Thrass—and he finally admitted to calling them that—were completely new, either. He had noted Thrass’s good looks in a neutral way when he’d first met the Chiss. Admittedly, at first it had been more about Eli comparing him to his memory of Thrawn, noting the various differences and similarities between the two brothers.

Eli didn’t know when it had changed to him just… _admiring_ Thrass. He had not noticed at the time, distracted by his happiness of making a new friend among the Chiss. Now that he thought about it, it seemed Ar’alani had noticed something. Why else would she have sent those shuura among the other fruits? Or rather, her ‘associate’ had. When Eli had finally worked up the nerve to ask Ar’alani about that, she had told him that it was _Faro_ , of all people. Eli had been curious, but he was not going ask any questions about what _their_ deal was—he did not want to risk them messing with him even more.

Eli rubbed a hand over his eyes, and then swept away his wayward hair. Of course, shuura had turned out to be Thrass’s favourite fruit. Eli was pathetically grateful that the Chiss had no idea just how provocative his fruit plate had been. Eli had just suffered in silence, cursing Faro in his mind, eating the unfairly delicious pieces of fruit that Thrass had offered him. It would’ve been very romantic—if only there was any romance between them. _Curse Faro, and curse my stupid brain for betraying me like this_ , Eli thought.

Eli stretched his hands over his head, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the peacefulness of the garden around him, the silence broken only by the song of birds and the buzz of insects. Eli appreciated the peace, especially after the morning he’d had.

Eli groaned, frustrated, and picked up the glass of ice water—with leftover bits of shuura—he’d brought with him to the gardens. He leaned back on the bench, pressing the cold glass against his forehead and closing his eyes. All he could think about was Thrass. Sweaty. Shirtless. Way more athletic than a career politician had any right to be. _If only I hadn’t barged in like a nerf. I could’ve ignored the fruit incident, and even the music, but_ …

Walking in on Thrass’s training session had effectively shattered any pretence of not being interested in the Chiss. Unprompted, the memory of the morning emerged again, and swept Eli along. He couldn’t even remember why he had originally been meaning to seek out Thrass. When he hadn’t found Thrass in any of his usual places, he had ventured to the large veranda behind the house, and finally a member of the household staff had pointed him to where Thrass could be found: a remote training room Eli hadn’t been to.

Glad to have found Thrass, Eli had stepped in, only to stop dead in his tracks and _stare_. Thrass had been in the middle of a jump, spinning gracefully around to land on his feet like a cat. He’d stayed on the ground just long enough to spin around for another jump, this time with a kick. Eli noted that Thrass’s eyes were half-closed, his face serene despite the energetic moves.

Eli could tell that it was clearly some form of martial arts, though completely foreign to him. It looked as much like dancing as it did like fighting. There were parts that were similar to other martial arts Eli thought he recognised, mixed in with the kicks and aerial acrobatics. Each move was fluid and precise, different movements blending together in perfect harmony. Eli continued to stare, unable to look away.

It was clear that Thrass had been training for a while already, a slight sheen of sweat making his skin gleam in the morning light. A couple of strands of hair had escaped from the bun Thrass had his hair in; they moved along with every leap the Chiss took. _Oh no._ Eli felt his heart skip a beat. _He’s hot._ Eli was unable to stop the sudden thought. Then, as if it hadn’t been enough already, Eli’s traitorous brain supplied him with another thought: _I really do want him_.

And then, just as Eli had been about to execute a hasty retreat, Thrass had noticed him. Eli cringed at the memory of his stuttering and blushing. Luckily, Thrass hadn’t been offended at Eli’s interruption. Not that Eli remembered much of what they’d talked about, he had been too focused on trying to ignore the Chiss’s bare chest. Fortunately, an incoming call for Thrass had saved him from total humiliation. Still, Eli knew that he had to do something about the situation.

* * *

No one had commented on his unusual absentmindedness, of which Thrass was feeling rather grateful. It was not typical for him to be quite so unfocused, especially when dealing with a mid-level political crisis involving members of his family. While the business of sorting out the problem with minimal drama was quite time-consuming, it was something he was very good at, and so it left him with a lot of spare time to think.

Unsurprisingly, his thoughts were of Eli. Thrass had always taken a sort of vindictive pride in his natural affinity for politics and people, so very different from Thrawn’s laser-focus on tactics and warfare. Social graces and so-called people skills were integral to his work. While these things often left his brother confused, Thrass was good with people, and right now, it meant Thrass could no longer ignore the problem at hand: his feelings towards Eli.

Thrass would not try and deny it—such course of action was beneath him. He might not be the warrior Thrawn was but a certain kind of brutal honesty towards himself was something he knew he shared with his brother. Denying that he was attracted to Eli—that he wanted to share what he had with him, shelter him, provide for him, and support him—went against what Thrass stood for. It simply would not do.

Thinking back, the thoughts had been there long before Thrass had truly realised what they might mean. First, it had been his fascination with the human, the pleasure of forming a friendship with him. He had noted Eli’s beauty the first time they had met, but when exactly that purely aesthetic appreciation had changed to something else, Thrass could not tell. He had been sad to see Eli go, worried for him as the human flew away to all kinds of danger. He had also been enraged at Thrawn for not appreciating the incredible human more. A multitude of emotions, all centered on Eli.

Seeing Eli again, even in the poor-quality long distance holo, had made his heart flutter. Even so, Thrass was not blind; he knew Eli had felt—quite probably _still_ _felt_ —something for his brother. Thrass would not be so crass as to make his feelings known now, with Eli’s recent heartbreak so fresh. Instead, he would be there, as a friend, as a distraction. Thrass would be whatever Eli needed him to be.

It was a shame that Thrass’s decision to keep his distance had been undermined almost immediately upon the human’s return. Granted, the fruits had been truly delicious. Especially the mystery fruit that Eli had been so tight-lipped about. It was probably Thrass’s own fault for asking Ar’alani for more information, but she had certainly provided it, and then some. Thrass did not understand how most people thought the Admiral did not have a sense of humour; she had one, and it was _savage_. After reading the articles she had provided, he had understood Eli’s initial reaction to the fruits—and especially to his fruit plate—much, much better.

A small but persistent voice in the back of his mind reminded him: _Eli had still eaten the fruit; didn’t that count for something?_ And Eli’s face in the morning when he had walked in on his training session… Thrass resisted the urge to bang his head on the desk before him, and wrenched his mind back to the business at hand. He _would_ talk to Eli, though. As soon as he knew what to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Eli and Thrass finally do something about their feelings. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> The instrument that Eli mentions: [Seven-string hallikset](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Seven-string_hallikset). You might be familiar with this if you've played Jedi: Fallen Order. 
> 
> [Thrass's instrument.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Array_mbira) Or at least the Chiss version of it. 
> 
> The Shuura fruit is the [infamous pear from Episode II](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Shuura).


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y'all can probably guess what happens. Please notice the rating change ;)

Eli spent the following days in various stages of fluster. He had meant to speak to Thrass as soon as possible, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. The air between them felt charged, like something had changed. Looks seemed to linger, and their touches felt more deliberate. Eli was sure that he wasn’t imagining it.

Had Thrass noticed his feelings? If Eli had been dealing with Thrawn, he wouldn’t have needed to worry about that. Thrass was different though—he had a knack for understanding people and their emotions. The lack of pain at his thought of Thrawn was a genuine surprise. Eli had tried his best not to think of Thrawn; first, it had taken serious effort but it had gotten easier with time. Now that Eli thought of him, he felt more wistful than heartbroken—still conflicted, but not because of any romantic feelings anymore.

Eli chanced a fleeting look from the corner of his eye at the Chiss sitting next to him, unable to resist the chance to admire his face undetected. Admiring Thrass’s effortless elegance, Eli could easily believe those Lysatran folktales he had mostly laughed at before. He’d abandon his herd, or prized loom too, if it was Thrass who called to him. _Alright,_ _enough with the bantha eyes,_ he chided himself. _You are not some Lysatran maiden, and Thrass is not a dashing Chiss warrior come to steal you away from your people._

There was no way Eli would let his feelings for Thrass jeopardise their friendship. It was too important to him. Thrass had been nothing but honest with him, and Eli felt that he owed it to him to be honest in return. There was no way he would manage to hide it from the Chiss for long, and trying to do so would only cause problems. Eli would need to be honest about his feelings. And that meant talking to Thrass. _It’s a shame that talking is not my strongest skill_ , Eli thought ruefully. _Numbers aren’t much help to me now._

Even the comfortable silence between them felt charged with energy. Eli swallowed nervously. Gods, he had been less nervous before a major battle than he was at this moment. Something had to give.

“Thrass–”

“Listen, Eli–”

They spoke at the same time. Eli could only guess what he must look like—like a mouse startled by a tooka, probably.

Thrass looked nervous too, but motioned for Eli to continue. “Apologies, do go on.”

Eli clasped his hands together, resisting the urge to fidget. “I… There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you since I came back.” He stopped to gather his thoughts, suddenly very aware of Thrass’s eyes on him.

“I don’t think I realised it before I shipped out, last time, I mean, I don’t know when _–”_ Eli fell silent. _Great, I’m already rambling like a lunatic_.

Eli was still trying to come up with something coherent, when Thrass moved to face him; he looked contrite—like he had done something wrong—and more than a little panicky, his hands moving along with his words. “You don’t have to tell me, I know. I would like to formally apologise for any distress I have caused you. I respect your feelings for Thrawn, and I _promise_ , I will not come between you two. I wouldn’t be that heartless.”

Eli froze, blinking slowly, while his brain tried to digest what he had just heard. “I’m sorry, what do you mean? What feelings?” This wasn’t about Thrawn—Eli had been trying to tell Thrass of his feelings for _him_. What was the Chiss _thinking_?

Thrass blinked back at Eli, looking equally confused. “Your feelings for Thrawn…?” His answer was as much a question as it was a statement—the rising tone, and the questioning look on his face gave it away.

Suddenly, Eli had had enough. He’d had enough of his own awkward rambling, of confusion, of misunderstandings. He took a deep breath, and looked Thrass in the eyes, willing the Chiss to hear his words and understand him.

“This isn’t about Thrawn—this is about you and me. My feelings for _you_. Whatever I felt for Thrawn, it’s in the past. _We_ are here, _now_.” Not breaking eye contact, Eli continued. “I like you, Mitth’ras’safis. A lot. I don’t know when it started, exactly, but I didn’t realise it before I returned here and coming back felt like coming home. It feels like this is where I’m meant to be, with you.”

Finally, Eli blinked and looked away, nervously. He’d said what he had meant to say.

* * *

There weren’t many things—or people—that managed to completely blindside him, but Thrass was starting to realise that Eli Vanto was one of them. _Eli had feelings for him_. The thought felt like a revelation.

Thrass allowed himself to smile, wild and free, not caring if it made him look unhinged. _Eli Vanto liked him_. He reached out to cradle Eli’s hands in his own, twining their fingers together and squeezing lightly. Eli squeezed back, raising his eyes to Thrass’s, a look of tentative hope on his face.

“I like you too, Eli Vanto.” He knew the words were not enough, but they would have to do for now. There would be time for more words, later. _I’ll just have to show him how I feel, for now_.

Thrass leaned forward and drew Eli into a kiss. Even with both of them sitting down, Eli needed to tilt his head up to meet Thrass’s lips. The feel of Eli’s warm lips on his was exquisite; the contrast between their slightly differing temperatures new and thrilling.

Eli hummed, not breaking the kiss, and leaned even closer to Thrass, bringing their chests together. Thrass groaned, and broke the kiss to lift Eli up and into his lap, the human letting out a little gasp at the sudden manhandling.

“I always forget that you Chiss are so damn strong.” Eli grumbled the words against Thrass’s collarbone, his warm breath leaving Thrass’s skin tingling.

When Eli raised his head and looked up, Thrass could see a lovely flush on his brown skin. This time, it was Eli who reached up and brought Thrass’s lips to his own. It was a long time before they parted again to draw breath, Thrass leaning forward to rest his temple against Eli’s.

“Will you stay with me, Eli? I know you can’t stay here forever, but will you come back to me?” He had to ask; the question whispered into Eli’s hair.

Eli drew back enough to catch his eyes, a delightful blush even brighter on his face, his eyes shining, his hair a complete mess from Thrass’s hands running through it. “No one’s ever asked me that before… Yes, I will come back, every time. Of course I will. As long as you’ll want me, I’ll come back.”

Thrass beamed. He felt light—like he could do anything. He cupped Eli’s face with his palm, and pressed a brief kiss to his forehead before sliding his hand into Eli’s hair, cradling his head, and bringing their foreheads together.

“You will _always_ be welcome here, with me.”

Eli let out a soft laugh, which then turned into a moan, as Thrass’s other hand wandered down to his ass. Thrass moved his head down to kiss his neck, causing Eli to clutch his shoulders tighter.

After a few moments, Eli pulled back slightly. “Thrass, Thrass! Shouldn’t we… relocate?” Eli’s voice was breathy.

Thrass drew back reluctantly. “If you wish.” The reluctant expression turned into a slight smirk, as he stood up, picking Eli up in his arms.

* * *

Being carried in Thrass’s arms made Eli feel safe and loved—but also a little bit embarrassed. They saw no one on their way to Thrass’s bedroom, and Eli forgot about his embarrassment the moment the door closed behind them.

Thrass set him down on the luxurious bed, a surprised noise escaping him as Eli didn’t let go of him, and instead pulled the Chiss down on top of him. Eli felt a thrill at the passion evident on Thrass’s face. He felt that way about him, Thrass wanted _him_. Before Thrass had time to move, Eli wrapped his arms around him, and drew him into a searing kiss. He did not so much hear but rather felt Thrass groaning against his lips.

Eli sild his hands along Thrass’s back and into his long black hair, luxuriating in the feel of the silky strands; the Chiss’s high bun and ornate hair decorations coming undone. Eli felt positively drunk on their closeness and touches, and they were still fully clothed.

He drew back abruptly, resulting in Thrass letting out a questioning sound and trying and chase his lips. “Clothes off. Now. Please.” Eli’s ability to form complete sentences seemed to have abandoned him, but luckily Thrass understood.

Eli mourned the loss of their closeness as the Chiss stood up but he quickly got over it as Thrass started to methodically divest himself of clothing. Eli knew that he should get rid of his own clothes as well, but his eyes were transfixed on each new sliver of skin Thrass revealed, his mind unable to concentrate on anything else.

Thrass looked up, and noticed Eli’s eyes on him. He smirked and raised his brows, not saying anything. Eli bit his lower lip, his eyes still on Thrass. After what felt like forever, Thrass let his undertunic fall to the floor, without breaking eye contact. Eli ached to touch all that skin.

For a moment, Thrass just stood there, clad only in his thin leggings, looking at him. Eli sat up, reaching up to unclasp his own tunic, conscious of Thrass’s hungry eyes on him. He slipped the tunic away, the action eliciting a sharp intake of breath from Thrass.

Eli looked up at Thrass, his face impish. “What? It’s too hot for an undershirt.” When Thrass did not move, Eli raised an eyebrow at him. “A little help?” He motioned at the trousers and boots he still wore. The question broke Thrass out of his reverie; the Chiss all but tackling Eli to the bed.

Despite his earlier bravado, Eli felt an unspeakable softness inside him as they finished undressing him together. It didn’t take long before they were both nude, the Chiss covering Eli’s body with his own, his blue skin shockingly cool against Eli’s, making him catch his breath. “Ah. That’s…”

Thrass hummed, nuzzling him. “You are so warm, Eli.” Eli let his hands slide down Thrass’s back, and onto his backside. “Mmm. I’m glad you like it.”

Thrass’s mouthed Eli’s skin where he had been nuzzling his neck, kissing him there, and slowly making his way downwards, leaving Eli breathless and wanting. It was too much, and still not enough. “Move, damn you.”

Thrass let out a little _tsk_ at his sudden outburst, and Eli would have swatted him, if his hands had been free. Thrass did move, however, and Eli moaned, his hips bucking unashamedly against Thrass’s.

“Oh. Eli...” Thrass’s voice was throaty and breathless.

“Yes,” Eli moaned, lost in his pleasure. He felt Thrass sneak a hand between them, and take both of them in his hand. Eli bit his lip, and hissed at the coolness of the Chiss’s touch. After that, all coherent thought abandoned him, there was only the two of them, together.

They both finished quickly, too impatient to draw it out any longer. Afterwards, Thrass rolled off Eli, settling down next to him, their arms touching, as they fought to regain their breath. Thrass was the first to move, cleaning them up with a discarded tunic, and then drawing Eli into his arms.

It did not take long for them to fall asleep like that; safe and content, wrapped up in each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: There is art now! Here is a link to the [rebloggable version!](https://skeletonremoval.tumblr.com/post/623458882555166720/whats-love-if-not-a-waiting-to-be-seen-eli)
> 
> Next time: a wild Thrawn appears.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FINAL CHAPTER'S UP! Thrawn returns to the Ascendancy.

**2 years later**

Returning to the Ascendancy in disgrace was something Thrawn had not foreseen. He had expected never to return home. Clearly, fate had other things in store for him. Now, as he sat aboard a shuttle, alone, except for a single navigator acting as his pilot, he did not know what to think.

Thrawn stared at the distant, yet slowly nearing planet in the viewport. If he was not to be imprisoned—or even exiled again—he would be a free man. Perhaps for the first time in his life, there would not be any expectations of him. He doubted the Defence Fleet would welcome him back, after all he had done.

After it had become apparent that all his plans were for nothing, his thoughts had been only of Eli. Sending Eli away had been one of the hardest things he had ever done. Now, there was a chance he could see Eli again. _Perhaps, now they could_ … _he could finally tell Eli_ —Thrawn banished the thoughts from his mind. He would have to concentrate on facing Thrass first. No doubt his brother would be angry with him. Ar’alani certainly had been—enough to send him on his way with barely a word, separate from the rest of the fleet.

Thrawn could not help but wonder where Eli was. To his knowledge, Eli still served under Ar’alani’s command. Still, he had not seen the human during his brief stay on the ship, and no one had informed him of Eli’s whereabouts.

The navigator Ar’alani had provided him with was quiet and cold, not answering any of Thrawn’s questions. There was something familiar about her, though. The closer to Copero they got, the livelier the girl looked. When they received their landing permit, Thrawn saw her smile for the first time.

She landed the shuttle on the landing pad with an expert touch, and immediately took off, running outside before Thrawn had time to even contemplate rising from his seat. He frowned at the unexpected breach of protocol but followed the girl outside. Once he was outside, he looked at the scene unfolding before him and froze.

Thrawn watched the small Chiss Navigator run across the landing pad and right into Eli’s arms. It really was Eli—Thrawn would have known him anywhere. He was not clad in his Defence Fleet uniform, but instead wore Mitth colours, his luxurious outfit decorated with intricate embroidery—he looked like he belonged here. Thrawn felt his heart skip a beat.

He heard the Navigator’s voice—young and eager and so very happy—answering Eli’s questions about the trip, and her wellbeing. Eli sounded like he had always lived here, only a trace of his accent remained; a slightly lyrical lilt to his Cheunh. Thrawn felt a burst of pride that was not his to feel; he had had no hand in Eli’s success in adapting to the Chiss society, it was all due to Eli’s own effort and talent.

“Un’hee, I’ve missed you so much. How is everyone? I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.”

 _Un’hee…?_ Hearing the girl’s name, it all came back to Thrawn—that explained the familiarity. She was slightly older now; no wonder he had not recognised her sooner.

The young Navigator beamed at the human. “Everyone’s all right. Even Admiral Ar’alani promised to be there. She’s coming the day after tomorrow, as agreed.” Before she could continue, Thrawn saw his brother appear. It had been many years since he had last seen Thrass, and it threw him a little to see his brother so… changed. Thrawn had never seen Thrass look so relaxed. He looked… happy.

The reason behind his brother’s happiness became clear very fast: Thrass stepped closer to Eli, looping his arm around the human’s waist, and leaned down to drop a kiss on Eli’s cheek. Thrawn could hear Eli laughing, and watched him raise his hand to tug Thrass down into a proper kiss. It felt like his world stopped for a moment, before everything resumed, forever changed. _Oh_.

“Father, we have a guest!” The disgusted look on the Navigator’s—Un’hee’s—face was almost comical. Eli bent down, and dropped a kiss to her forehead, too. “Dad, no. Stop it.” Eli laughed again, and Thrass smirked down at the child. Then, he turned to look at Thrawn and froze.

“Brother…” His stillness was only momentary—after a few seconds, he was already moving, almost running towards Thrawn, and wrapping him into a hug. It was Thrawn’s turn to freeze, unaccustomed to such close contact, before he melted into the touch, suddenly unaccountably glad to see his brother again. “Thrass…”

His brother squeezed him before letting him go. “Welcome home, Thrawn. I had no idea you were back.”

Thrawn raised an eyebrow. “It seems Admiral Ar’alani neglected to notify you of my arrival. How strange.”

Thrass let out a half-censored curse. “Of course.”

Thrawn noticed Eli walking towards them at a more sedate pace, hand in hand with the Navigator, Un’hee. He was almost afraid to face the human, but he forced himself to do it anyway.

“It is good to see you, Eli. I trust you are well.”

Thrawn could see something complicated cross Eli’s face, the expression disappearing as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only a delighted smile in its wake. “Thrawn. You’re back. It’s good to see you, too.” Eli gestured with his free hand in the direction of Thrass and Un’hee. “I’m doing very well, as you can see. Really busy at the moment, and kind of stressed, but other than that–”

“Dearest, no one said you would need to organise the whole thing yourself.” Thrass’s voice told Thrawn that the subject was not a new one.

Eli merely raised a brow. “Do you think I’d trust the preparations to just anyone?”

Un’hee sighed theatrically, and Thrass snorted. He motioned for Thrawn to follow him, and explained on their way to the house. “It will be our one-year anniversary in two days. We hadn’t planned to celebrate it publicly, but then Admiral Ar’alani and several of the _Steadfast’_ s navigators heard about it, and all but forced us to throw a party.”

It hurt—it really did. Thrawn forced himself to face the hurt head on—he had endured so much; he would not allow _this_ to break him. He smiled back at his beaming brother, his expression sincere.

“Congratulations, brother.” He turned to look at Eli, gorgeous in his burgundy tunic, the afternoon light casting a beautiful glow about him. “Congratulations, Eli. I wish you both happiness.”

* * *

They were married, had been for a year. They had adopted children; apparently almost every navigator aboard the _Steadfast_ was now unofficially theirs, if not on paper. Thrawn did not know what to think—on one hand, he was happy for them. He truly was. On the other hand, he felt like he wanted to break something.

The party was beautiful, the guests were happy, and Eli and Thrass seemed even happier. Ar’alani had appeared exactly when she had promised she would, accompanied by almost half a cruiser’s worth of people, and this was in addition to all the navigators. It appeared that Eli was very well-liked and respected. Thrawn was happy about that, too; Eli deserved it.

He had finally told his friend as much, after the party. Thrass had disappeared somewhere, and Thrawn was left alone with Eli. He looked at the human—it was clear that Eli was sure of his place here, radiating confidence. It seemed that his decision to send Eli away had been for the best, if not for the reasons Thrawn had originally had in mind.

Eli just smiled at him, radiant; confidence was a good look on him. “This is where I was meant to be. Thank you for sending me here, Thrawn. I understand, now. I couldn’t have wished for a better friend.”

Then, he clasped Thrawn’s hand in a traditional Chiss handshake, only to be cornered by an excited gaggle of navigators. The sudden attackers dragged Eli off somewhere as soon as he released his grip, leaving Thrawn staring after him.

“Friend.” _Yes, you are my friend_ , he thought. _And I am yours, and always will be_.

* * *

When the time came for Ar’alani and her entourage to leave, Thrawn went with them. They would take him to Csilla for a proper debrief, and to face the Council. Ar’alani, while not pleased with him, treated him with respect. They travelled with sublight speed, not bothering to jump with the assistance of navigators. Thrawn suspected that it was in order to give Ar’alani a chance to talk with him properly.

He was correct—an invitation to her office arrived almost as soon as they had left Copero. Thrawn righted his borrowed Defence Fleet uniform, lacking any rank insignia, and set off to face her.

“Sit, Mitth’raw’nuruodo.”

Thrawn sat in the chair she had gestured to, and accepted the very generous glass of wine she offered him. Ar’alani looked at him over the brim of her own glass, her eyes keen and narrow; reminiscent of a hunting nexu.

“I trust you’ll behave yourself, and refrain from causing any problems for your brother.” _Or for Eli Vanto_ went unsaid.

Thrawn had the sudden urge to either laugh or throw his glass into the nearest wall. Of course, he did neither, instead taking a generous sip of his wine, and raising his brows. “I shall do no such thing. I am very happy for them.” It was the truth; Thrawn had privately vowed to guard them, to keep them safe. He would hurt any who threatened to hurt them.

Ar’alani nodded. “I see.” She swirled the wine in her glass. “Great many things have changed here during your absence. I trust it will not take long for you to catch up to speed.”

“Ma’am?” Thrawn’s mind was instantly trying to work out her meaning, drawing conclusions.

“You shall be reinstated in the Defence Fleet under my command. The Grysks are defeated, and we have managed avoid civil war here in the Ascendancy, but we still have need of your skills. Your timing in exiting your… Empire was fortuitous.”

Thrawn ignored the jab about the Empire, though the reminder of his failure stung. “I will be in active service again?” It was all that he wanted, now.

“Yes. You will be officially reinstated after the debriefing—the ruling of the Council will be a mere formality. Welcome back, Commander Mitth’raw’nuruodo.”

“Thank you, Admiral.” Thrawn nodded his thanks to Ar’alani. This way, he would be useful again. He could continue to keep his people safe, to keep Eli safe. And he would have the privilege of serving together with Eli again. That was acceptable. He would do that, gladly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of a bonus chapter. I wanted a sort of glimpse into Eli and Thrass's shared future. Also, I wanted to give Thrawn some sort of closure. Hopefully I wasn't too brutal/angsty with Thrawn's pov. 
> 
> I might write more stories set in this verse, if inspiration strikes. :D Let me know in the comments if you have ideas for any missing scenes / stuff you'd like to read! ❤︎

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter: Eli thinks about his relationship with Thrawn. Things get interesting between him and Thrass. 
> 
> In this story Eli/Thrass is the endgame; saying this just because I don't want to confuse people. Also there will be a rating change in the future chapters.


End file.
